Ashes to Ashes, We All Fall Down
by lupo6
Summary: We all know Harry got to see his parents before he died. But who did James and Lily see when they died, and how did they react to their sudden death? How did the war truly effect them? This story is going to follow them in their last moments of life and into life after death.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

* * *

 _"Avada Kedavra!"_

The last words James Potter would ever hear were uttered by the darkest wizard of modern times. He wouldn't hear his wife's broken screams nor his son's cries for his father.

James Potter wouldn't be able to look one last time at his small family. His face pinched into anger and pain, he couldn't leave his family. Not alone with this monster.

But it was like time was going too fast while he was moving in slow motion. He couldn't dodge the Killing Curse. Not this time.

With a shout forming on his lips and his mind thinking of only his family, his sweet Lily. His Lily that finally was his, whom finally returned his love. They were suppose to grow old, have several children running around his family manor. He was suppose to keep her safe, he promised her he would. But surely she had to be safe elsewhere by now, with Harry.

His baby boy whom he would never be able to teach to play Quidditch or be able to send him off to Hogwarts, nor watch him fall in love and experience life. His son who would have to face the burden of that stupid prophecy alone. But hopefully Remus, Sirius, and Lily would raise him away from that, give him a safe childhood and let him know how his father loved him so very much.

Sirius, whom James knew wouldn't be able to accept this, who would blame himself and drown in his guilt. Just as Remus would. James sent a plea to whomever was listening that his friends would find peace and not spend their lives trying to get revenge on Peter. Peter the traitor who was to blame for this. Just as James felt he was to blame since it was _his friend he trusted._ His friend he trusted to keep his family safe.

With these thoughts running wild around his head, the roaring green light engulfed James Potter. With a blast of sickly green James Potter was thrown to the floor by the sheer force of the spell. His body fell like a puppet cut from it's strings and he knew no more.

* * *

At first there was nothing but blackness. And the euphoria feeling of nothing. Like a warm blanket you pull over your head during the cold nights of winter. James felt like he was floating.

Then came the light. The blinding light that slowly made him wake.

With a slight groan James slowly blinked up the bright light. His hazel eyes squinting at the ceiling above his head. He was lying down on his back in what felt like a bed. His bed to be exact.

He slowly sat up, confused as to what was going on. This was his bed back at Potter Manor. Why was he in his childhood bedroom? He looked around the room, everything looked exactly as he left it the day he and Lily decided to go into hiding.

He heard the floor behind the door creak. He perked up, it had to be Lily.

"Lily! Lily love-?" He called out to his wife as he stood up and walked over to the door.

The door flew open and in the doorway stood Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. His parents who looked distraught at the sight of their son.

"You're dead." James rasped out.

"We are son." Fleamont softly said. His father, whom James inherited his black, messy hair. His father didn't seem bent with age and worry, he stood tall and strong. His face was shadowed with uneasiness, a face that looked very similar to James'.

"I don't understand. You've both been dead for years!" James said harshly. Perhaps a bit too harshly as his mother flinched.

But they both looked younger than they were when they died. They looked healthy, much healthier than James remembered them ever looking.

"James, love, just relax. What do you remember Jamie?" Euphemia said as she slowly walked towards her only son. She looked as lovely as she did when she was alive. Her hazel eyes, usually full of laughter just like James', were full of grief and sadness. Her red hair didn't have any greys. Her face held no tired wrinkles.

James blinked down at his mother with wide eyes. He had grown taller than his mother during his sixth year at Hogwarts. The same time his relationship with Lily had changed. Wait, Lily. Where was Lily? His breath quickened, where was Harry?

"Harry, where is Harry? We were just playing with the bubbles when-"

James gave out a cry and fell to his knees as his mind was assaulted with his last moments in Godric's Hollow. His head felt like it was on fire. He was breaking. His chest felt tight and he couldn't breathe. He hadn't been able to protect them. He had failed his wife and son.

"You were suppose to be safe! All three of you were suppose to survive this damn war!" His mother had tears pouring down her cheeks as she hurridly knelt down and held her son. Her son of only twenty-one who barely got to experience life.

Fleamont joined his wife and son on the floor, and held them both in his arms. Something he had not been able to do for years. Something he had prayed and hoped wouldn't happen until James joined them after a long life filled with love and happiness.

James didn't realize he was screaming. Screaming as only a man who had just lost everything and would never be able to get it back. He didn't realize the ache in his chest and throat were from his sobbing. Not until he felt his parents desperately try to soothe him.

He was a brave man. And even though they were thick into the war, James never imagined he would be taken so cruelly away from his family. He never thought he would be without his Lily, or that he would leave her to be alone. Call it a naive thought, but to James there was no him without Lily. She was his other half, his soul mate. He had never been without her, even when they fought during their early years at Hogwarts, they were still around each other daily.

The war had made them all grow up too fast. They experienced too much horror, too much tragedy for any young adult to go through. Lily and James dealt as best as they could, and tried their best to shield their baby boy from the horror going on around him.

But there were days that they would break and feel like the world around them was crumbling down. Days were Lily would scream and cry for hours, for her dead friends who were murdered so ruthlessly. There were days that James wouldn't make a sound, wouldn't be aware of his surroundings due to failing to save that Muggle family, too late to save them from being tortured and raped, but just in time to hear their dying screams. They were kids thrown into a war they were not prepared for. And while they did their best to survive and fight, they all had a breaking point. Dying didn't make it any easier.

"James, sweetie please, please sweetie, breathe. Breathe Jamie." His mother pleaded with him. Holding his face to her chest, rocking him gently as sobs racked his body. Trying desperately to get him to breathe and calm down, even if just slightly.

But how could he? He had no idea what would happen to his small family now. _He was dead._

But there was comfort in this place, in his parents arms. He felt safe, something he hadn't felt since he was a boy. It took what felt like forever, but his sobs eventually subsided. His breathing slowly grew calm as he listened to the soothing voices of his parents. With tears still sliding down from his red eyes, he leaned back slightly.

"Where are we? I-I don't understand.." he said looking at his hands, his voice rough from screaming.

"Well, to put it simply, we are on another plane of existence." His father explained softly. "But right now you could say we are your welcoming committee. When we die, we go where we felt the safest."

"Is this where you both, er, live?" James asked looking up at his parents.

"Sometimes we spend our time here. Sometimes we visit others. Or, we would go and watch you." His mother added sadly. She brushed his dark hair out of his eyes, like she used to do countless times.

James' eyes lit up at that.

"We can watch the living?" He asked excitedly.

"For the most part. We can't watch everything they do. But we get to see enough." She said with a smile that James usually wore.

"I need to see Lily and Harry. I need to see they're safe." James said as he gently dis-tangled himself from his parents' arms. He walked with purpose out of his bedroom.

Fleamont and Euphemia shared a look as they followed their son. James turned to look at them, biting his lip. His father put his hand on his son's shoulder, while his mother held his hand.

"How do we-?" James started to ask, just as they disappeared into a flash of light.

* * *

They reappeared, but not in a way that made sense to James at all. They weren't in a room over looking a hole in the clouds. They didn't even seem to have a body, James could see his surroundings but couldn't feel them. They were spectrals watching the living, almost like looking into a Pensieve.

James gave a start as right in front of him, was Lord Voldemort. And in front of Voldemort was his Lily.

Their voices sounded slightly muffled, like trying to hear someone talk through a long tunnel.

James felt his heart jump into his throat as Lily shielded Harry. He was powerless to do anything. He couldn't even move in front of her. But he wouldn't leave them, he refused to leave them again.

Lily was fiercely defying Voldemort. With tears running down her face, Lily started to beg for her son's life.

Neither of them could hear James screaming as Voldemort threw the Cruciatus Curse at Lily. Lily's screams of agony pierced James' soul. He could feel her pain, and all he could do was watch, unable to do anything to stop her pain.

Harry started to cry, scared by his mother's screams and the scary man in his bedroom. James realized his son would never feel safe in this house. Harry's childhood home would never be a symbol of safety for him anymore. Unlike James. And this broke James' heart even more.

The screaming stopped. Lily stood up shakily, and still refused to move away from Harry. Begging for him to kill her instead. Lord Voldemort had lost his patience and with a flash of bright green, Lily Evans-Potter fell to the floor just like her husband did mere minutes ago. Her bright green eyes, the same eyes her son had inherited, dimmed as the light left her.

James felt a roaring in his ear as he heard a cruel laugh and the shrill screams of his son who was now an orphan and utterly alone in the world. James tried to go closer to his son, try to protect his baby boy from the pain. But he was pulled back in a rush of wind, back to his parents' house.

* * *

"LILY!"

"James! Wait!"

James was running through the manor, trying to find the door that would lead him out to Lily.

"James you won't find her yet!"

He stopped very suddenly, turning around quickly to look at his parents. A slight wild look in his hazel eyes.

"Why?!" He snapped out, "Where is she?"

"She's here son, in the same way you are. Just not exactly where you are. She's getting her own welcome committee son. Sometimes it's family, sometimes it's the partner or friend that greets you. Normally, you would have been the first she saw. But you died mere minutes ago, your soul wasn't ready to accept what had just happened. Let alone help someone else adjust to such a sudden change." His father said gently, but firmly. His own hazel eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Her parents are with her right now James. She isn't alone."

"Dad, I need to see her. I need to see Lily." James said in a broken voice, "She _just_ died by-by _him_ and-"

"Time is different here son, it doesn't move the same way as it did on Earth. What might feel like hours here might be seconds down there. We'll get to her soon, when you both are ready." His mother murmured softly as she embraced him in her arms. "You two won't be apart much longer, I promise you that my son."

James sobbed quietly into her shoulder. He didn't think he would need his parents this much. He had been without them for so long, he was use to dealing with everything on his own or with Lily.

Yet, at the same time his parents were making things easier. They were helping him and if he was honest with himself, he really was in no position to help Lily adjust right away. If Lily was being received by her parents similar to how his parents came to him, then he could accept that he would see her soon enough.

With a heavy heart he let his parents lead him back to his room. Trying to calm down enough to where he could finally see his wife. And hopefully find a way back to see Harry.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so first part of this is up! Lily's experience will be up next, as will James and Lily's reunion. I haven't written in quite some time, not the most skilled writer but this story plot would not leave my head, so I had to give it a try. Obviously this story is going to center on the Potter's death and experience in the here after. A lot of stories make their death something the Potter's accepted easily, which is something I never agreed with. This is going to be a very emotional, raw story. Not very long, probably around 5 or so chapters. They might seem ooc, but I wanted to show how the war would have effected them. They were thrown into a war as soon as their childhood ended, and witnessed horror. Harry and co. grew up with that kind of horror, and got use to it in a sense. James' parents are not keeping him from seeing Lily btw, both of them just went through something very traumatic and need help to process what just happened before they can be reunited. Who better to help them but their parents!

So, please review and let me know what you guys think! There will be spelling errors and such, but stick with me and please give me your thoughts!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Okay, so I know it's been a year since I updated this. My laptop pretty much crashed on me and I wasn't able to go on it for awhile. It isn't completely there yet but it works well enough for me to update. I'm not a professional writer but writing interests me, so any advice on how to write better or how to make this story more enjoyable, please let me know!

Having said that, just a reminder that this story is meant to be more realistic show of how people would react to death and to being murdered. I want to focus on James and Lily but Harry will enter in the next chapter and his live with the Dursleys. There isn't a lot canonically written about Lily's family but I'm trying to keep it as close as possible for those details. There will be Dursley abuse in this story, nothing horribly graphic, but still more than what was written in the books. Again, this story is meant to be emotional, they went through a war, they aren't going to accept what happened and be happy about it.

I don't have Microsoft Word so I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters in this story do not belong to me.

* * *

Harry whimpered against his mother's neck as he looked over Lily's shoulder, not understanding why his Daddy was screaming. Lily held him closer, running as quickly as possible up the stairs to Harry's nursery. Harry's stuffed stag was a porkey to Hogwarts. If she could get to the nursery and send her son somewhere safe, she could go help James. And maybe, just maybe all three of them would be able to escape this night with their lives. Lily knew the odds were against them but she prayed to every deity that she knew of for help, anything to keep her family together.

She threw open the white nursery door and hurried over to Harry's crib. Lily gently unlatched Harry's arms from around her neck and laid him into his crib. She started to hum a lullaby softly to Harry, trying to distract him from the fighting going on below them. James' was still fighting, the house was literally coming to life as he used his Transfiguration to stall Voldemort. James Potter wasn't considered the best Transfiguration Master of his generation for nothing. The snarls of wolves and the roars of lions shook the house.

"Shh, Harry. Everything will be okay sweetheart. You're going to go visit Aunt Minnie and Hagrid for a little while, okay?" Lily said as she searched the room frantically before finding the stag on the shelf next to Harry's crib. She breathed in relief as she reached for the toy. They had arranged a porkey for Harry, created by Professor Flitwick. He and Minerva McGonagall worked tirelessly with Lily and James to create several escape routes for baby Harry. Knowing time was running out she placed the stag in Harry's outstretched arms. His green eyes, so like her own, were filled with tears and fear.

Lily's heart clenched as she stifled a sob. A tear escaped her eye as she wiped Harry's tear streaked face. He reached up for her, wanting to be in his mother's arms. Lily bent down and held his hands between hers and kissed his hands gently. She paused for a second to relish this last moment with her son. Whatever happens tonight, Harry will be safe, Lily thought determinedly.

Lily brushed the hair out of Harry's eyes and stood up before the crib. Harry's lower lip started to tremble, he reached out again with both hands. Lily pulled out her wand and lowered it to the toy.

"Portus."

Lily waited three seconds. Nothing happened. Harry looked at his toy and back up at his mother, confused as to what she was trying to do. She frowned as she said the spell again, more firmly.

"Portus."

Nothing once again.

"Portus!"

Lily couldn't stop the tone of desperation from filling her voice. She took a couple breaths to calm her nerves. Voldemort had casted an Anti-Porkey spell, one she didn't have time to break.

She hurried over to the window and tried to open it, but found that no matter how many unlocking spells she used she couldn't get either window open.

"Aberto! Alohomora! BOMBARDA!"

Lily snarled as she slashed her wand in front of the window. Besides creating several marks on the surrounding walls and floor, nothing could crack the window nor the wall. Voldemort had made sure to trap all the Potters inside without any means of an escape.

Keeping a cool head, Lily tried to find the two way mirror that connected them to Sirius. She rushed around the room trying to find it, until a cold feeling of dread washed over her as she remembered the mirror was on the coffee table downstairs. They had used the mirror this afternoon to check in with Sirius. The fire place to use the Floo was also downstairs. She tried to Apparate but fell to the floor mid spin, Voldemort truly blocked every possible way out.

Lily quickly went back in front of Harry's crib. She reached down and held him, he wrapped his arms once again around her neck. She tightened her hold on him as she tried to come up with a plan rapidly. She pulled on her red hair with her free hand, pacing around the room once before remembering her patronus. Just as she was about to cast the charm, she heard a booming voice shout out two words that would forever change her and Harry's life.

"Aveda Kedevra!"

A sickly green light filled the entire house, the light from the spell leaking up into Harry's nursery. Lily felt her heart stop. The house went deathly silent before the thud of a body hitting the floor invaded the silence.

Harry started to cry harder against Lily's neck, his body trembled against hers. Tears that she couldn't feel were streaming down her face. Her James was dead. She was a widow. The man she loved was gone forever.

She was snapped back to reality as she heard footsteps heading up the stairs. She quickly jumped to close the door, putting as many locking charms on it as possible before stacking furniture in front of the door.

The air seemed to get colder, Lily faintly wondered if Voldemort had brought a Dementor with him. She kept working on barricading the door when she felt something on the other side of the door push against it. She held her breath and felt Harry do the same.

This can't be the end, she thought desperately, not for my son, not my child. As the door shook violently once again, Lily found herself drawn back to several months ago when she was doing research on magical protection and came across Blood Magic. She bit her lip as she walked backwards away from the door, knowing she had mere minutes until Voldemort broke through the enchantments. She activated several of the protection jinxes James and her had set when they first moved in to Godric's Hollow. It wouldn't keep Voldemort out forever but it would give her time to complete a ritual that should save her baby.

Steeling herself for what she was about to do, Lily hugged Harry tightly. He didn't protest as he normally would. He hugged her tighter, trying to wrap both legs and arms around his mother, not wanting to let go. Lily hummed his lullaby again as she slowly rocked him, relishing in these last few moments. She tried to not listen to the curses coming from the other side of the door. She focused instead on her love for her son. The beautiful mixture of both her and James. While he looked every inch the son of James, from the untamable black hair that stood up in the back just the same as his father's to the curve of his mouth when he grinned. But he had her eyes, the exact shape and color of her own. She let her love for her child drive out any fear she had.

She faced the crib and lowered Harry down, his soft cries tearing into her soul.

"Harry, Mama loves you. Dada loves you. You are loved sweetheart, so very loved." She reached through the bars and let him hold onto her fingers, Harry looked up at her tearfully as he listened to the last words his mother would ever tell him again, "Remember us Harry, never forget that we will always be with you. No matter what happens, Mama and Dada will always be watching over you Harry."

A loud bang from behind door interrupted the mother and son, as Lily was reminded how their time was running out. She stood up, letting go of Harry's hand she spread her wand and left hand over his crib. She started to chant in ancient Latin and Greek. Lily didn't care that what she was doing was considered "Dark Magic", both her and James had dabbled in the grey area of magic in the last year and a half. Anything to keep their family safe. What Lily was about to do required the ultimate sacrifice, one she would gladly make.

As the young witch started to chant louder, runes that were drawn and cut into the crib ever so carefully a week ago by James and Lily started to glow. She gently cut her hand with her wand and let her blood drop on the ruins. The blood seeped into the ruins, causing them to turn a bright white before disappearing, leaving behind a hum of power. Lily felt sweat drip down her brow as she chanted faster. She felt a hum run through her as she finished the spell portion of the ritual.

The door burst open, slamming into the wall and creating several cracks. A cruel laugh entered the room. Lord Voldemort would not be denied any longer.

Lily whirled around to face the door, her back against Harry's crib. A faint whimper coming from behind her steeled her resolve. She fired off curse after curse. Lily smirked as one of her curses ripped into his right arm, splashing blood against the lavender and white wall. Voldemort snarled at Lily as he slashed his wand at her, pushing her away from the crib.

"Step aside girl, I only need the brat." Voldemort said coldly.

"You'll have to kill me before you touch my son you son of a bitch." Lily spat. She put herself in front of Harry once more. Keeping her wand trained on Voldemort she knew she had to distract him for awhile longer while the ruins powered up. Just a little bit longer she thought desperately.

"One of my servants have begged me to spare you tonight. Which, mudblood, is quite ironic seeing as to how it was because of his information that led me to the prophecy that was created about that half blood son of yours and myself. I believe you were once quite close to him. Any guess on who he is?" Voldemort asked her cruelly. Without letting her reply, he sneered, "Dear Severus Snape. I do see why he would be attracted to you, your power and magical skills are widely known, if one could over look your rather unfortunate blood status. He has tried to prevent me from seeing his feelings towards you child, without success of course. However, I'm sure once he has grown bored of using your body my faithful Death Eaters would like a turn to show you your place in this world."

Lily felt white hot anger course through her veins. Severus? Severus had known about this and hadn't even warned her? Did their childhood friendship truly mean that little to him, that he didn't even care how badly his actions hurt her? A simple owl would have sufficed, it would have given them the time they needed to escape to Potter Manor.

"Severus wouldn't-" Lily started.

"Oh dear child, but he did. Just as your little rat of a friend couldn't wait to reveal your location. You really should learn to keep better company." Voldemort said cutting her off. "While this talk has been utterly enlightening for you I'm sure, I tire of this. Step aside now and live. I don't grant such mercies often."

"Spare Harry, take me instead, please." The ruins seemed to hum behind her, they were ready. Now it just required one last component.

"Crucio!"

Lily fell to floor, her limbs twitching uncontrollably. She tried to keep from screaming, for Harry's sake. But Merlin did it hurt. Every inch of her body was on fire with red hot knives piercing into her nerves. She managed to keep in her screams as Voldemort took off the curse. She tried to stand, using the crib as a crutch.

"Not Harry, please, not Harry! I'll do anything!"

"Crucio!"

She couldn't keep her screams in this time. Tears fell down her face as she heard her baby boy's terrified scream join her pain filled ones. Her wand fell from her grasp and rolled under the crib. Voldemort kept the curse on longer, but he finally released her from the torture.

She gasped for breath. Just a little longer, she thought desperately. She slowly stood up, shaking violently from the after effects of the curse.

"For the last time, stand aside. Stand aside, girl!" Voldemort snarled.

"Spare Harry, please, take me instead!" Lily begged, clutching the crib to support her weight. She made sure to keep her face from showing any triumph. Her plan, regardless of it ending her short life, was about to ensure her child lived. And for her child, Lily would do anything, even giving the highest sacrifice a person could give.

"Aveda Kedavra!"

Time seemed to slow down for Lily Potter. She saw the rush of sickly green shoot towards her, but as if in slow motion. Dimly she could hear Harry crying loudly and Voldemort's cruel laugh. She numbly thought of Sirius and Remus, and prayed that they would be able to take Harry and raise him. But as the bright green light got closer to her, she felt a cold sense of dread fill her that something was going to go terribly wrong tonight. And she wouldn't be able to stop it.

But her sacrifice should be able to stop one wrong from happening tonight. While she longed to be with James, something deep down in her soul seemed to break as she realized she was forever leaving her child. But him being able to survive and live to see the first of November made the sting hurt a little less. She smiled as she let her love for her son pour out, letting her magic cover her son like a warm blanket.

The screaming green light engulfed Lily Potter and the last thing she would ever see was Harry reaching out to his mother through the bars of his crib. His face red from crying and screaming. His little hands desperately trying to grab onto the last comfort he would know. She tried to reassure him it would be okay, but her body was dead before she hit the floor.

* * *

There was quiet. A stillness that didn't seem possible to break.

Lily slowly started to become aware. She felt comfortable, her aches and pains were just a ghost feeling, not a physical thing anymore.

She moved around and felt cool sheets crinkle, breaking the silence. She reached her hand out beside her, trying to feel for James. Her hands felt only sheets and the comforter. Where is James, Lily thought, it feels like Sunday, he should be in bed still.

She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of the bedroom her and James first shared. Their bedroom in Potter Manor.

The sunlight was streaming through the windows, giving the room a feeling of warmth. The walls were beige yet empty. There were no pictures up from Hogwarts or their wedding. The hardware floors were also barren.

Strange, Lily thought with a frown, where did the rugs go?

She slowly sat up, her eyes kept searching the room as she felt something start to slip in her mind. It was so quiet, this house was never this quiet.

But just as Lily started to panic the creak of someone walking on the floors outside the door reached her ears. She perked up, expecting James to open the door with his crooked grin, breakfast in his arms.

It wasn't James Potter who opened the door. Instead, two people entered the room, two people who Lily hadn't seen since she was 19 years old.

"Hello sweetheart." came the soft voice of Dahlia Evans.

"Mum?" Lily couldn't believe this. She started to walk towards her parents, "Daddy?"

"Hello my little Lily Flower." Benjamin Evans smiled sadly at his youngest daughter.

They both looked younger than Lily remembered. Her father's bright green eyes didn't carry the worried look he had everytime Lily saw him. He looked relaxed, as if all the weight of the world was gone from his shoulders. Her mother was the same. Her hair was full red, not streaked with grey and white that Lily remembered her having since she first went off to Hogwarts.

"I don't understand, what's going on? How are you here? Where's James and Ha-?" Lily fell to her knees in front of her parents as pain filled her head as everything came rushing back. She let out a startled gasp as tears started to pour out of her eyes.

Benjamin caught his daughter before she hit the ground and held her as she sobbed into his shoulder. He gently rocked her back and forth like he use to when she was a child, but instead of soothing fears away from a nightmare, he was now having to sooth his child about her death, and the death of her husband.

Dahlia sat down next to her husband and held Lily's hand. The sound of her daughter's heart broken screams filled the room as the events of the last year and half came crashing down.

Dahlia and Benjamin Evans died in a car crash right before Lily and James' wedding. They also died before Lily's friends were butchered. Before Lily knew of the inner workings of war. Lily hadn't had the comfort embrace of her parents in years.

She felt the words pour out of her mouth, frantically telling her parents through her sobs everything that had happened. Everything that she had done.

After the death of Marlene Mckinnon something broke inside of Lily. She was the first one to find her friend brutally murdered alongside her family. She was the first one to kill a Death Eater for the first time, she got there in time to stop him from torturing the youngest Mckinnon member. But she wasn't there in time to save his life. She held Marlene's youngest brother in her arms as he died due to his wounds.

Having to bury her friend and arrange for the funerals of the entire Mckinnon family was something she never thought she would have to do. Sirius did his best to help, while Lily knew Marlene better than most, Sirius was the one Marlene had opened her heart and soul to.

During that time Lily found herself stuck. She went on hunting trips with Sirius to try to avenge Marlene. They were ruthless to Death Eaters, they sparingly left any who crossed their path alive. They ignored the lectures from Albus Dumbledore, his obvious disapproval of their methods didn't matter to them. She spent weeks in a depression unable to care about anything else but revenge. James and Remus finally broke her out of it, but she never fully recovered. A piece of her died that day with her best friend, a woman she considered a sister in all but blood.

Before everything went to hell, Remus and Sirius were constantly around the Potter household. Remus was there when she went into labor and held her hand while Sirius tried to get a hold of James, who was on an Order mission. They took over watching Harry when Mary McDonald was found dead and Lily became closed off again. They became the family Lily lost, she thought for the longest time nothing would separate her little family.

But war has a way of causing a chasm between the closest of people. Remus and Sirius started to mistrust each other, egged on by Peter's whispers. The Marauders had a fight that rocked the area around Remus' house. Lily, in her anger, told them all to not come around her house or Harry until they stopped with such childish behavior. They never did reconcile before the Potter's death, something that tore bitterly at Lily now.

She begged her parents to understand, to forgive her for all the blood she split. She felt dirty in the presence of her parents.

"Lily, listen to me," Benjamin held his daughter's face in his hands, his eyes looking into hers, "You have nothing to be sorry about. You were thrown into a war you never should have had to fight in. You experienced things most people will never experience. You saw unimaginable horrors and you grew stronger from it. Listen to me, you have nothing to be sorry for, nothing. Your mother and I are so proud of you Lily Flower."

"We still lost, it was all for nothing!" Lily sobbed.

Her father wiped away her tears, as her mother rubbed circles on her back, gently soothing their youngest child.

"You did not fail Lily. You fought against everything and managed to trick that bastard." Dahlia said with a slight smile, brushing the hair out of her daughter's face.

"Harry. What happened to Harry? Is James here, where are we?" Lily asked as she started to breath deeper, trying to calm herself down.

"Well, we are in the realm of the dead. Currently we are, ah, what is the name of this darling?" Her father turned to her mother.

"Potter Manor dear. We are in the place you last felt safest. Your father and I are here to help you adjust to death. James is nearby sweetheart, he is with his parents as well. Time is different here compared to time on Earth. You'll seem him soon." Her mother finished with a sad smile.

"And Harry?" Lily questioned, knowing deep down her son was not about to join her.

"One step at a time dear, we'll get to Harry." Benjamin reassured her.

Time seemed to stop for Lily, she couldn't say how long she sat there surrounded by her mother and father. She knew she needed to find James and Harry, but she felt like a child again. Her parents were healing a part of her that slowly filled her with strength. Strength she knew she was going to need very shortly.

A low hum could be heard from outside the door. A hum that grew persistant as time went on, and Lily found she couldn't ignore it anymore.

She slowly stood up from the floor and walked over to the door. Her parents stood behind her, giving her their silent support. As she reached for the door knob her father put his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Remember Lily, you are strong. We will see you again."

She gave her father a warm smile before opening the door. Bright light surrounded her as she took a step outside the room. Her world erupted into a swirl of colors.

* * *

"Lily?"

She heard a deep voice to the side of her, a voice that was as familar to her as her own.

She opened her green eyes and met hazel ones, staring at her several feet away. Her heart missed a beat.

James.

Her feet began to move before her mind could catch up. He met her in the middle and wrapped his arms around her small frame.

Sobs went through both of their bodies as they ran their hands over the other. James touched her forehead with his, breathing in the scent of his wife. His hands running through her red hair and down her back. He couldn't get enough of her. The brief amount of time they spent apart was too much.

Lily stood on her toes, hands holding his face and met his lips with hers. It was a desperate kiss filled with sorrow and urgency. Even when they broke apart to breath they stayed in their tight embrace.

"I thought you would be able to get away." James mumbled into her hair, his face buried into her neck.

"Voldemort put up Anti-Porkey wards. I couldn't break the windows open either. All our escape routes were blocked, Peter must have told him all about our plans." she explained bitterly.

"The ritual? Did it work? Were you able to finish it?" he asked pulling his head up to look at her.

"I managed to finish it right before. . ."

They were both quiet, not wanting to finish that thought.

A cry broke through the silence. A very familar cry. They broke from their embrace and turned trying to find where the cry was coming from.

"Harry!" They both shouted. James and Lily looked at each other in despair and joined hands. They walked forward and disappeared in a flash of light once more.

* * *

So now Lily and James are reunited and on their way to see Harry. Felt like a good place to stop for now, next up will be Harry and Voldemort, Sirius and Snape's response to finding the bodies of James and Lily, as well as an insight to what happened to Harry the first day after the death of his parents. The Dursleys won't enter this story til chapter 4. I'm not sure how long this story will be, but it will be under 6.

Review if you like and let me know what you think, what I could do better or what you would like to see in this story. Thank you for reading! Stay tuned!


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